Jenna knew she was pushing it, vibrations that normally could never be felt reverberated around the console, shaking through her body. The small Ranger’s engines were pushed to beyond their operating limits, the smell of hot metal filled her senses, invading her head. She hoped and payed that she would intercept it in time, but not as much as she hoped someone else could before her.

“Status report Blue Siren, how far are you from it?” A man’s voice called though into the earpiece.

“Ten minutes. I’m showing it’s still on the same course and trajectory. Do you concur?”

“Concur Blue Siren”

Red warning lights flashed up around the engine status displays, well they had been for sometime but the hot smell was getting worse and the lights somehow seemed to have more urgency about them. “I’m throttling back” Jenna announced back to control. She had this love / hate about the call sign Blue Siren. She was the only female pilot in Blue squadron, that’s why she was given the name. But it was like a constant reminder she had something more to live up to.

“Negative, maintain speed Blue Siren”

“I can’t intercept if my ranger blows apart and what am I supposed to do when I get to it? It’s moving faster than light, my pulse lasers won’t be able to touch it. All I can do at the moment is spit on it!”

“I’m not disobeying orders, you told me to intercept and disable the approaching missile. I’m still doing that and now I have more time to think about how I can do that. Is anyone else on their way?” Jenna replied stubbornly.

“Half of blue squadron have been dispatched from Mars but they’re playing catch up and won’t be there in time.”

“Well maybe if they didn’t avoid me there might be one of your blue eyed boys here. Then you wouldn’t have to rely on me!”

“That’s out of line Blue Siren, we’re all a team. You seem to think you have more to prove than the others. What are you going to do?”

“Well I can’t shoot at it, if I approach it head on it will avoid me. So…”

“So what?”

“Ah ah. Here we go.”

“What is it?” The frustration of the man was evident.

“I have captured a small boulder, I’m going to set it in the path of the missile. It doesn’t have any energy traces so it won’t be able to see it and will therefore hit it and become history.” Jenna sounded pleased with herself and she was confident it would work. The thing was big enough, way bigger than her Ranger.

The computer worked out where she needed to push it and how hard. Lining up the front nose ram of the Ranger she positioned her craft and set up the burn time into the computer.

“Ok, I’m ready!”

“Proceed Blue Siren. This had better work!” Jenna didn’t answer, she was used to the undeserved remarks from them all the time.

“Three, two, one – firing!” The Ranger pushed forward, the already hard worked engines groaning under the pressure of pushing the huge object. Shaking around the Ranger wanted to push free, just holding it steady Jenna held it in place.Then as suddenly as the engines fired. Silence.

“Push maneuver complete.”

“Roger Blue Siren. Good work. I’m able to track the boulder so far the trajectory is looking good.”

“Roger control. I’m going to withdraw back to Ceres mining station.”

“Roger Blue Siren.”

Waiting for something to happen in deep space is the the most boring thing ever. You’re not in motion, you’re not doing anything. That’s all Jenna could do – Wait. After what seemed an eternity the time was near, one minute until the missile reached the boulder. Both were on course. The seconds ticked away.

Closer…

Closer…

Jenna Swore.

“Blue Siren the plan failed, get to that missile and shoot it down!”

“I can’t – I’ve told you!” Jenna screamed back. She had only moments, it would soon be here and she had only one option left. Setting the Ranger on a collision course she buried the throttle. Engines screaming almost as much as she was, she closed her eyes.

Control watched as the ranger and the missile met, then only one was left. Just the missile now. Had it torn through the ranger and not exploded?“Blue Siren report. Blue Siren report!”

Nothing.

With nothing to get in it’s way the missile hit the Ceres mining station, the flash was so bright it was seen on Earth with just a small telescope. In less than a second the entire station was swallowed up in is a fusion detonation that sucked every element of the base up and expelled it into it’s base atomic components far into space.

Back in control, no one spoke for what seemed like forever, the commander took his head from his hands. “Begin to notify the authorities back on Earth on what happened.” He ordered grimly. “Get Blue Squadron to begin in initial site survey, is there anything left and what happened to Blue Siren. Earth will want answers and I need them.”

Jenna opened her eyes, slowly, blinking into focus. Four figures stood around her.“What happened and where am I?”

“You’re safe Jenna, but I’m afraid you won’t be able to leave. Your people think you are dead and our purposes need you to stay that way.” One of them told her flatly.

“You launched the missile didn’t you?”

He nodded.

“Why?”

“Ceres is, special let’s say and is hiding secrets your people must never know.”

“My people? Who are you?”

The three others walked off, leaving just the leader.

“In time we will show you, but please rest for now.” Jenna felt sleepy again and felt herself passing out. “There is much to do!”

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Published by Simon

My name is Simon I'm an engineer, creator, free thinker and occasionally writer. For far too long I had ideas and nowhere to put them for the world to see, that's why Planet Simon was created.
I'm an experimenter, explorer and fascinated by the world around me and the people in it. My exploration goes further than the known universe and expands out to universe's I've created in my mind and put onto the creative canvas.
I'm not the person I used to be and over time I have evolved and the blog is evolving with me. Whatever this blog is in the future it's a place where all are welcome and ideas can roam free to find their magical place in the universe.
I'm an experimenter, explorer and fascinated by the world around me and the people in it. My exploration goes further than the known universe and expands out to universe's I've created in my mind and put onto the creative canvas.
View all posts by Simon

10 thoughts on “Blue Siren”

Good to see you battling again Simon. Always good takes on the prompts too. Adding to Abes throw in there’s one you may want to change in the opening paragraph…hoped and payed seems not quite right and probably missed by checkers as payed is spelt right! My bane too lol.

I say this loads here, but what happens next?? Who are these extraterrestrials and what be they hiding? I’m seeing Jenna as a fighter too. Unable to consider being their “prisoner” without trying to escape.

Have to admit I tried a bit of sci-fi this time too. First time for everything!!

This piece definitely ranks as one of those ‘edge of your seat’ stories that made me want to find out what happens next. Good intensity!
I did have to reset my brain early in the story because I processed the craft she was in as a Ford Ranger, but it took only a couple more paragraphs for me to realize “Duh! She’s in space!” And because of the setting, do you think ‘asteroid’ might work better than ‘boulder?’
It was a nice touch at the end when we find out she wasn’t killed … but she may wish she was? Nice cliffhanger ending. I hope to find out what happens next!